Publication year

Economic growth is expected to slow down only slightly this year as global economic conditions are not as dramatic as recent financial markets turbulence suggests. There is no simple and accessible alternative to further monetary easing, whose effectiveness is diminishing while the negative side effects are compounding.

Sub-Saharan Africa is facing headwinds from lower commodity prices, China’s slower growth, and normalization of monetary policy in the US. This has made the region’s economic outlook challenging, though not imminently gloomy.

Sub-Saharan Africa has made significant progress on political stability in the past two decades. Nevertheless stability remains fragile and there are regional differences. Besides, institutional quality in Sub-Saharan Africa remains weak.